SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) And

SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) and Cooperative Agreements to Benefit Homeless Individuals (CABHI)

What is the SOAR model? SOAR is a national program designed to increase access to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) for eligible adults who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and have a mental illness, medical impairment, and/or a co-occurring substance use disorder. Since SOAR began in 2006, over 31,356 people who were experiencing or at risk of homelessness were approved on their initial application using the SOAR model. In 2016, SOAR-trained providers across the country maintained an average approval rate of 67% for initial applications in an average of 101 days from application date to decision. What is the CABHI Program? CABHI is a competitive grant program focused on enhancing and expanding the infrastructure and mental health and substance use treatment services of states/territories, local governments, and communities in order to increase capacity to provide accessible, effective, comprehensive, coordinated/integrated, and evidence-based treatment services; permanent supportive housing; peer supports; and other critical services to adults, families and youth who experience homelessness and have serious mental illnesses and/or co- occurring substance use disorders. Based on outcomes reported in SAMHSA’s FY2017 Budget Request, the CABHI program assisted 2,432 individuals experiencing homelessness in FY2015. At 6-month follow-up, CABHI grantees saw a 26.5% increase in the number of program participants currently employed and an 84.5% increase in those who had a permanent place to live in the community. Working in Partnership since 2011 The goal of stable housing is more easily accomplished when people who are homeless have access to the income and health insurance that comes with Social Security benefits - making SOAR and CABHI programs excellent partners. CABHI and SOAR programs have a great history of working in partnership to increase access to SSA disability benefits and fight homelessness since CABHI was initiated in 2011. Many states report the following collaborations between their SOAR and CABHI activities: SOAR trained benefits specialists on CABHI teams CABHI funding for local and/or statewide coordination of SOAR activities

Using CABHI funds for SOAR Leadership and Coordination The following states use or have used CABHI funding to fund SOAR coordination: Arizona, Kansas, Kentucky, Nevada, Tennessee, Utah, and Washington.

State Focus: Kansas uses CABHI funds to enhance infrastructure and increase capacity to provide effective services in three high population communities (Wichita, Kansas City, and Topeka). Kansas hired a CABHI Project Coordinator who assists with the implementation of CABHI activities including SOAR.

SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery (SOAR) Technical Assistance Center November 28, 2016 Using CABHI funds to Support SOAR Training The following states have received CABHI funding and are using it to fund SOAR trainings or extended SOAR work throughout the community: Arizona, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, Utah, and Washington.

State Focus: Utah uses CABHI funds to support a dedicated “CABHI SOAR Program Manager” within the Utah Department of Human Services. This individual works to implement SOAR across the state utilizing a number of strategies including training.

Using CABHI funds for Dedicated SOAR Benefits Specialists The following CABHI grant recipients are using their funding to fund dedicated SOAR positions:

Arizona (full time benefits specialist in Maryland (supports two dedicated SOAR Flagstaff) benefits specialists) Colorado (received $150,000 in funding to Mississippi (dedicated SOAR position) dedicate to SOAR positions) New Mexico (SOAR dedicated specialist in Connecticut (dedicated SOAR positions Albuquerque) across the state) Pennsylvania (dedicated SOAR position Illinois (three dedicated SOAR positions) serving two counties) Kansas (dedicated SOAR specialists in Tennessee (four dedicated SOAR positions) Wichita, Kansas City, and Topeka) Washington (dedicated SOAR staff in Port Kentucky (SOAR providers in Louisville, Orchard) Covington, and Lexington) Wisconsin (supports a Veteran focused SOAR benefits specialist)

Building new SOAR and CABHI Partnerships The SAMHSA funded SOAR Technical Assistance (TA) Center strongly encourages states and communities to continue to strengthen the partnership between SOAR and CABHI. For more information on promoting collaboration between SOAR and CABHI in your state, contact the SAMHSA SOAR TA Center at [email protected] or visit http://soarworks.prainc.com.

SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery (SOAR) Technical Assistance Center November 28, 2016